Building Hope Summit County
Otto Reyna, who struggled with his mental health after his tenant died by suicide, is encouraging people in the Latino community to talk about how they are feeling. He s sharing his story as part of the Faces of Hope series, a partnership between Building Hope Summit County and the Summit Daily News.
Photo by Byron Swezy / Dragon Fruit Video
Otto Reyna thinks people need to talk to one another more about the way they’re feeling.
A native of Guatemala, and Summit County resident for nearly 20 years, Otto admits that’s a big ask for people of his Latin culture.
Photo from Leah Canfield / Coldwell Banker Mountain Properties
Despite closures and restrictions due to the pandemic, Summit County’s real estate market had a record-breaking 2020.
Summit Realtors data show real estate sales in the county amounted to more than $2.06 billion, which is the first time in history the county has surpassed $2 billion.
“We have never done that before. It’s really amazing,” said Dana Cottrell, former board president of Summit Realtors and a broker with Summit Resort Group. “All of us felt it. We were all so busy because we went from nothing to hanging on by the seat of our pants.”
Photo by Libby Stanford /estanford@summitdaily.com
Summit County’s move to level orange on the state’s COVID-19 dial means fewer restrictions for short-term lodging businesses, but some in the industry are still struggling to fill reservations.
While the county was in level red, gatherings were limited to one household. In level orange, gatherings are able to include up to two households or 10 people. The change in gathering size impacts short-term lodging facilities as well, allowing more than one household to stay together in the same location.
Still, interest has not increased much since the move to level orange on Monday, Jan. 4, according to Toby Babich, president of the Breckenridge Lodging Association.
As cancellations due to lodging restrictions increase, some visitors are struggling to secure refunds for trips booked before restrictions were in place. Tim Osborn, who lives in Louisiana, planned to visit Breckenridge over the holidays.